, 1887-06-02
kENTUCkY,S MANSION.
An Old Time Residence which Has
Sheltered Many Great Men.
Especial Correspondence1

Especial Correspondence
FRANKFORT, KY, May 20.
The state OF Kentucky, like New York and
Pennsylvania and eight other states in the
Union, owns and furnishes dwelling for her
governors at tho seat Of the government.
This executive mansion, as il is called, is very
old and costly to maintain, but there seems
to bc no dispositi> n on the part OF the legisla-
lures or people to repeal the law or withhold
the necessary preparations for repairs or
household outfit, which is complete and ele-
giant in all its appointments and renewed
every four wears with each chance OF the adj
ministration. Ut is thought the strongest
reason for this disinclination to innovation
lies in the very nature Of the Kentuckians
local attachments, pride of ancestry and ven-
GRAFTON for tradition, custom and historic rel
les of halowed past) The landmark under
review is so closely interviewer with the his
tory of the state that to destroy the character
of the one would become in the minds of the
natives self despoliation of n glory Of the
other, which even a vandal would pause to
execute. Marshall, one of the earliest histo.
rians Of the state, said that measures were
taken in 1902 to erect house for the
residence of the governor" but it was not
until about 1902 that the present build
ing was finished. Though it is a very unpre.
tentious and even ordinary two story brick
residence for these days, at,that period, when
the population of Kentucky only numbered
30 ,955, 1t was regarded the handsonest and
most spacious home west of the Allegheny
mountains. Governor Metcalf, who became
governor in 1S2S under the sobrouet of
"Stone Hammer" laid the stone foundation,
and the father of Governor Letcher put up
the brick work. II is said that Governor
Letcher himself, as n hoy helping his father
in his trade, predicted to his parent when
they were together upon the walls, that he
would run for governor and live in the man
sion they were building-a prediction he veri.
fled forty years afierward. Tue first occu-
pant Of the mansion was Governor James
Garrard, who succeeded Isaac Shelby, the
first governor of the state. He, as those i'm
Office after him have done considered it the
yeritahe "Kentu cky home," where the dis
pensation Of governors hospitality has
made use OF the name rs theme
worthy the poet, painter and modelist.
Besides entertaining all distinguished people
who visited the capital, it has ever been the
custom of the governors to give a series OF
brilliant levees and receptions each season, at
which the doors are thrown open to all alike
without distinction of class excepting colored
people, who have never ventuied their pres
ence on these occasions Not long after the
mansion was erected, Aaron Burr came to
Frankfort and spent part of his visit as the
governors guest. He was subsequently ar
rested for conductirg his cone-iracy in this
city, and brought to trial and acquitted in
Richmond Va. Louis Philippe, previous to
becoming king of France, and while travel
ing in the United States as an exile from his
country; Gen, Lafayette, in 1894; Presidents
Monroe and Gen. jackson, who were making
a tour OF the country on horseback: Count de
Bertrand, ono Of Napoleon's generals, who
followed him to st. Helena and there wrote
the "Memoirsof the Campaigns Of Egypt and
Syria as dictated by Napoleon; Presidents
Harrison and Taylor; Gems. Santa Anna and
Almonte, who were prise lers of war in 1887,
after the battle Of San Jacinto, and EN- route to
Washington city, not to mention Henry
Clay, John J. Crittenden, Senator George
Vest, Governors B. Gratz Brown, T. T.
Crittenden OF Missouri, Francis and Mont
gomery Blair, and hundreds Of other illus
trious Kentuckians, found shelter and enter
tainment beneath the roof OF this executive
mansion II the walls of the parlors and
study were an audiphone they could repeat to
attentive ears of to-day the interesting his
tory of past nssemblages OF beauty, wit and
gallantry, of loves inception, crowned with
happiness and prosperity, of fearful plead
ings for merciful penstroke to spare the dis
grace of a felon or life doomed to the GAL
lows, and, above all, the secret plans OF cabi-
net and field in which, through the various
state, national and political changes and
crises of war, the country has found need
Of taking into its confidence the services
of the governors of Kentucky, Amos
Kendall, William T. Tairy, Cley, Critten-
den, Marshall, Breckenridge, Carlisle, Beck